- Man Utd sacked Ruben Amorim in January
- Officials saw change in personality
- Portuguese coach spent 14 months in charge
There is no arguing that Ruben Amorim’s 14-month reign as Manchester United head coach was a failure. Even fans who back the Portuguese manager can’t dispute his dismal record which Michael Carrick has made look even worse.
Amorim arrived at United in November 2024 as one of Europe’s most highly-admired tacticians. There were even suggestions that Manchester City had eyed the 41-year-old as a successor to Pep Guardiola.
The former Sporting CP boss talked the talk but couldn’t walk the walk. He gave off the aura of a Premier League title-winning coach, yet performed like a relegation-battling manager.
United pulled the plug on Amorim in January after he made clear he wanted to “manage” the club not be the head coach. But there were signs that he wanted out even before his frosty post-match press conference after a 1-1 draw against Leeds United.
Did Amorim look for a way out?
Some of the Old Trafford faithful felt Amorim should have been dismissed after losing the Europa League final against Tottenham Hotspur last season. The club stood by him and backed him with four new signings, completely overhauling the frontline.
Amorim oversaw a 15th-placed finish in the 2024-25 campaign, and he had no choice but to improve. The Reds did show promise at the start of the season, and INEOS kept indicating that they trusted the Portuguese.
According to Tyrone Marshall of Manchester Evening News, that stance changed following a 3-1 defeat to Brentford in September. The higher-ups felt that his behaviour was changing, that he was looking for a way out, and that he might be trying to get sacked.
United’s sporting director, Jason Wilcox, had a good relationship with Amorim, but it deteriorated. The coach’s stubbornness saw him insist on a three-at-the-back system for a squad that wasn’t built for it.
The writing was seemingly on the wall heading into the New Year. When Amorim went back to a 3-4-2-1 formation for Wolverhampton Wanderers’ visit to Old Trafford, there was “bafflement” internally.
Officials couldn’t understand going defensive against the worst team in the league and watched the Reds stutter to a 1-1 draw. A meeting between Wilcox and Amorim the following morning led to the head coach “exploding.”
The Semenyo saga and poor decisions
The same report claims that United wanted Amorim to transition to a back four and viewed Antoine Semenyo as part of those plans. He emerged as a top target in the January transfer window and nearly made the move last summer.
Speculation grew over the club’s interest in Semenyo, with rumours suggesting Amorim wanted to use him as a left wing-back in his system. That wasn’t how INEOS felt as they saw him as a left-winger, but the Ghanaian eventually headed for Manchester City.
Amorim’s appointment was doomed from the start because he didn’t fit the profile of a United manager. The lack of interest in the club’s academy, his handling of Kobbie Mainoo and arrogance despite woeful results should have led to his sacking way earlier.
